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UCLA Meteorite Gallery

Looking at the variety of meteorites at the UCLA meteorite gallery helped me better understand the idea of two cultures, and how science and art can be intertwined in every aspect of sciences, even in geology. It showed me how art can be found in the elements, in space, and even in sciences we may not be familiar with. The first picture shows me with a complete, individual 357 pound iron meteorite. The second picture shows the Old Woman iron meteorite, which is the second largest meteorite from the United States. I I found it interesting how these geological artifacts appear like sculptures or pieces in an art museum, with so much history and meaning behind it and its discovery.



Old Woman Iron Meteorite
Me with a 357 pound meteorite!
One of my favorite parts of the gallery came from the area that focused on the differences in the inclusions of pieces of iron meteorites, which are insoluble substances in the metal that creates a spotty appearance. Each piece was completely different, yet beautiful, and it made me think about how this world, and space especially, is capable of combining elements in such a way that creates pieces both very intricate and unique.










Although I was underwhelmed by the size of the gallery, I would recommend other students to go to the Meteorite Gallery. Each meteorite had a detailed description of its history, which made it much easier to understand. It gave me a better appreciation for geology, and forced me to look at these meteorites in a different light, as something not just from space, but something so unique that it could have only come from sources still full of undiscovered potential that we have to study it deeper to understand. 

Meteorites with various inclusions



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